2017 PNG Independence celebration

On 16 September, over 50 Papua New Guineans gathered at Bernd and Margaret Nickel’s residence in Berlin. They were joined by Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to Germany and the European Union.

The garden party celebration featured cultural perfomances from New Ireland and Central, supported by performances from the Indonesian Province of West Papua and the Cook Islands. Papuan New Guinean arts and craft were also displayed.

Ambassador Joshua Kalinoe thanked his countrymen and their families for promoting the PNG culture and heritage abroad.

“Freedom was won without any bloodshed,” says the PNG Nanjing students’ vice president, Maxwell Komonga.

Komonga was speaking during their 42nd PNG independence anniversary commemoration on Friday (September 16^th) in Nanjing City of China.

“Let’s all celebrate with one heart and spirit,” he said.

“United we stand as patriotic Papua New Guineans.”

Over 40 people from PNG, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Kiribati attended the event.

Students of Popondetta International School, joined by their parents and friends, started off their celebration with a vehicle convoy around town.

Though small, the 42^nd Independence celebration was significant for the school, which falls under the International Education Agency (IEA).

As viewed by the Consulting Principal – Les Roai, IEA is officially the little sibling, being only 41 years old.

Roai, guest speaker at the event, highlighted that IEA’s history really started when self-government was established in PNG in 1973.

The city and its surrounding resident areas had no organized celebrations by the responsible authorities of the province.

The Hagen Tee Grave Yard Ward 8 Community,  have expressed concerns that Hagen since the year 2000 has never fully celebrated the country’s independence anniversaries.

People were observed to be dressed in PNG colors just roaming around the streets like any other ordinary day.

An independence special set to air on the eve of independence will give you this opportunity.

TVWAN Independence Jam will feature various talents within the television company as well as staff from Digicel PNG.

Groups and individuals will perform PNG hits from the past or originals to go in line with PNG’s independence. These performances will be accompanied by the studiowan band.

There will also be quiz time based on PNG history. But the focus on the program, according to producer Armstrong Gomara, is music.

Various shows line the month, giving visitors the opportunity to witness tribal traditions in an explosion of colour and sound.

Throughout the country, each province will stage a show to celebrate their unique culture.

Following are events captured by the Tourism Promotion Authority:

Enga Show

This annual cultural show will be from 15th-17th September, 2017.